Pearls before Swine?

[PresbyDane]

Until now I have always thought and been taught that the line "do not throw your pearls before swine" said something about that at some point of evangelism we should "give up" as to not get torn apart.

Now I am listening to teaching from covenant seminary where Dr. Daniel Doriani says that Jesus is using sarcasm or irony (I forget which one because Danish uses them differently) Jesus is using such stark language swine,dog to make us stop in our thinking.
In reality these words describe even ourselves before conversion, therefor we should never think like this about people.

What do you think?

 

[ewenlin]

Got a link to the particular lecture?

 

[PresbyDane]

I got them from world-wide classeroom and the lecture series is called "Life & Teachings of Jesus" I can not remember wich particular lecture but within the first 12 proberbly around 8-12.

 

[dr_parsley]

Until now I have always thought and been taught that the line "do not throw your pearls before swine" said something about that at some point of evangelism we should "give up" as to not get torn apart.

Now I am listening to teaching from covenant seminary where Dr. Daniel Doriani says that Jesus is using sarcasm or irony (I forget which one because Danish uses them differently) Jesus is using such stark language swine,dog to make us stop in our thinking.
In reality these words describe even ourselves before conversion, therefor we should never think like this about people.

What do you think?

I think this is a critical thing to think about if we are to evanglise in a way consistent with our doctrine. We must proclaim the gospel, but always be aware that the target of the proclamation may (and probably is) as good as a dead man. "Persuade him to make his salvation? To what purpose do you make orations to a dead man? Go to reprove him for vice? To what purpose do you strike a dead man?" - Thomas Watson. But more than just being dead, they may be an energetic enemy and as well as being useless to continue to proclaim it (to press this good gift upon them), it can be counter-productive to draw them into battle as well as dishonouring the gift. We must proclaim it because that is how God has chosen to operate, but don't be surprised if a) there is no result and b) there is a backlash and it makes sense to minimise the latter so long as we have fulfilled our duty. This is a war in the spiritual realms with powers unseen.

No I don't think we should think of people as dogs or pigs, but we should be aware that in the deadness of their sins and in the control of Satan they can be as dangerous as in the analogy that Jesus uses. Evangelism is rarely a safe persuading of reasonable people much like us.

 

[Igor]

I may be wrong, but from my own witnessing (both on-line and off-line) experience, the traditional interpretation does make sense, especially when you face mocking and profane attitude. Yes, that's true, we were like this before our conversion, maybe even worse, but 1) until a certain moment when God started His work in us and the Holy Spirit brought us to faith in Christ, it might have been just as useless to talk to us - I mean we had been absolutely irreceptive to the Message; 2) you never know if this particular person will ever be converted.

 

[LawrenceU]

I think the good professor is overworking to text to avoid something that offends some people's sensibilities. The plain reading of the text really can mean nothing other than the fact that with some people (and cities Luke 9.6) will become violent when presented with the gospel; and there is no need to intentionally put ourselves in harms way. There is enough of that without our pushing our way into it.